Improvement in railways



UNITED STAT-Es PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM O. BIBB, OF MADISON., GEORGIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAVS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 118,330, dated August22, 1871.

track is preserved, and the cars, being guided by a xed rope, are inless danger ofbeing thrown from the track.

My plan is illustrated as applied to elevated railways by theaccompanying drawing, to wit: Figure 1 is a side elevation of elevatedrailway. Fig. 2 is an end View of same. Fig. 3 is the form of rope orband used. Fig. 4 are grooved pulleys with rope between. Fig. 5 is anend view of wheels and rails.

F F g is a frame, braced by .fr a: on top, and supporting track L,onwhieh the wheels a a rest, and to their axles is suspended the car AA. To the beam L the rope d d is attached and suspended by the flaps TT, and passes through grooves in the pulleys o c. When it is desired tomove the car A A the pulleys c 'c a-re made to revolve inwardly on oneanother by the application of power on board of car A A, when, by thepressure given, as well by a set-screw as by the shape of the grooves onthe pulleys c cactin g upon the rope or band, a suflicient degree oftraction power is obtained to move the car forward. The traction powermay be increased by increasing' the number of pulleys and ropes, andshape of grooves, combined with pressure. The rope or band is intendedto be of wire or other elastic material, to obviate the objections tothe use of a third rail as in vogue in Europe. It is intended to extendthe whole length of the railway, and mayk be placed at the top, bottom,or sides ofthe-ear. To revolve the pulleys a cog-wheel is fixed upon theshaft of each. pulley and works into its opposite,

andthe whole actuated byadriving-wheel geared or connected with theengine on board.

I claim as my inventionl. The dri vin g-wheels o c, having groovedperiplreries acting upon fixed rope or band, being in relationsubstantially as described to the track and locomotive of a railway, asset forth.

2. The rope or band suspended by iiaps to a beam, or an equivalent, theiiange of one or both wheels, outwardly, being turned down to permit theiiap to pass between, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The driving-wheels 0 c, acting on the snspended rope or band, andhaving cogged wheels fixed upon them, as shown, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

, VILLIAM C. BIBB. lVitnesses CHARLES H. ANDREws, ALBERT E. ANDREWS.

